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Longterm effects of exposure and cancer



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Longterm effects of exposure and cancer


Fifteen years after exposure to dioxins in Sevesco, Italy, the mortality amongst men due to all cancers combined has increased (Bertazzi et al. 2001). Mortality also increased in men due to rectal cancer and lung cancers alone, respectively (Bertazzi et al. 2001). There was also an excess of lymphohemopoietic neoplasms in both genders, and increase in Hodgkins disease risk in the first ten years following exposure (Bertazzi et al. 2001). The highest increase for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and myeloid leukemia occurred 15 years after exposure (Bertazzi et al. 2001). However, Cole et al (2003) argue that this long-term study was case-controlled and has not been replicated since.

Male chemical production workers in a long-term American study were examined 10 years after exposure to substantial levels of dioxins. There was no increased risk of mortality, and the incidence of all cancers combined and lung cancer were at or below expected levels (Bodner et al. 2003). Rates for soft tissue sarcoma and non-Hodgkins lymphoma were greater than predicted, but below expectation in the update period (Bodner et al. 2003). There was also no trend of increasing risk with increasing exposure for these cancers (Bodner et al, 2003).

Effects of longterm exposure to dioxin were also assessed in Vietnam War veterans that served in areas where dioxin-contaminated herbicides were sprayed. These veterans were compared with those soldiers that had served in areas of Southeast Asia that were not sprayed during the same time. The incidence of melanoma and prostate cancer were increased among veterans who served in sprayed areas relative to those who served in unsprayed areas (Akhtar et al. 2004). These results are consistent with the link between cancer and dioxin exposure.

Further, exposure to dioxins increased the risk for breast cancer in both women and men, endometrial cancer and testicular cancer (Kogevinas et al. 1997). There was an increase in mortality in breast cancer in women in a cohort in Germany (Kogevinas et al. 1997).

Oral consumption of furan increased the incidences of liver cancers in rodents shortly after exposure (Moro et al. 2012). However, 2 years after furan exposure, there were higher incidences of bile duct cancers in rodents (Moro et al. 2012). Furan has the potential to be a human genotoxic carcinogen based on previous rodent studies. Furan induces liver tumors in both adult and infant mice (Fransson-Steen et al. 1997; Johansson et al. 1997). Oral administration of furan leads to cancer of the bile duct in rodents at higher doses (30 mg/kg bwt and more) (Elmore and Sirica 1991).

  1. EFFECTS OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAH) ON MARINE LIFE


Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) constitute a group of organic pollutants formed through natural and industrial processes that are ubiquitous in the environment (Neff 1979; Varanasi 1989). They enter the aquatic ecosystem through atmospheric deposition, surface runoff, effluent discharge, and oil spills, and can persist in the environment for long periods of time. In aquatic ecosystems, hydrophobic PAH are relatively insoluble in water and are mainly found associated with particulate matter.

The toxicity of PAHs to aquatic organisms is determined by several factors which include: (a) the PAH type (e.g., molecular weight, alkyl substitution, etc.), (b) the species of the organism exposed, and (c) the duration and the type of exposure to a given PAH. In general, fish appear to be the most sensitive of the aquatic organisms to PAHs. Most of the literature on acute and lethal toxic effects in estuarine and marine environments is related to the lower molecular weight PAH (LPAH), containing 2-3 benzene rings in their structure. These compounds are relatively more soluble in water than the higher molecular weight PAHs (HPAH); at saturation, their concentrations in water can exceed LC50 values, unlike the HPAH compounds (e.g. benz[a]anthracene and and benzo[a]pyrene) which have limited water solubility. In addition, alkyl homologues of PAHs are generally more toxic to aquatic life than the parent compound.


    1. Invertebrates

10.1.1 Immunotoxicity


In an experiment designed to identify individual effects of several PAH compounds (naphthalene, pyrene, and benzo(a)pyrene) on hemocyte viability and phagocytic activity in the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica), it was shown that the most-toxic compound, benzo(a)pyrene, at the highest concentration, stimulated an increase in agranular hemocyte counts. A follow-up experiment examining the effects of benzo(a)pyrene on hemocyte viability, adhesion and phagocytosis showed that the ability of this benthic diatom to transport PAHs to the eastern oyster causes immunomodulation (Croxton et al. (2012). Bivalve molluscs (Cerastoderma edule and Ensis siliqua) exposed to a range of phenanthrene concentrations showed a significant reduction in phagocytic haemocytes 14 d following exposure to >100 µg L-1 phenanthrene (Wootton et al. 2003).

The study by looked at Lysosomal destabilization (range from 34 to 81%) in the hemocytes of eastern oysters (C. virginica) collected along a chemical concentration gradient in Galveston Bay, Texas, USA was found and compared to concentrations of organic compounds. A significant positive correlation was observed between lysosomal destabilization and body burden of PAHs and other organics, while no significant correlation was found with metal concentrations (Hwang et al. 2002). The immunotoxic effects of PAHs were investigated in marine mussels (Mytilus edulis) by means of in vivo exposure to a PAH cocktail of anthracene, fluoranthene and phenanthrene. PAHs were found to inhibit phagocytosis and damage lysosomes Grundy et al. (1996a). These results were confirmed (Grundy et al. 1996b) these results, as PAHs were also found to inhibit phagocytosis and disrupt the ability of lysosomes to take up or retain neutral red dye, suggesting that membrane permeability was affected. Many other studies have demonstrated that exposure to PAH affected the immune system of marine invertebrate species (Hannam et al. 2010; Auffret et al. 2004; Mayrand et al. 2005).


10.1.2 Genotoxicity


Genotoxic end-points are routinely measured in various sentinel organisms in aquatic environments in order to monitor the impact of water pollution on organisms (Michel and Vincent-Hubert 2012). Two of the more sensitive, reliable and simple techniques to examine DNA damage are comet assay and the micronucleus assay (MN test). In Siu et al. (2004), green-lipped mussels (Perna viridis) exposed to water-borne B[a]P indicated that an increase in the proportion of strand breaks occurred generally with increasing B[a]P concentration. Seabob shrimp (Xiphopenaeus kroyeri) exposed for 96 h to B[a]P revealed that DNA damage significantly increased as a function of B[a]P exposure concentrations (Silva Rocha et al. 2012). The Comet assay and MN test were carried out in Binelli et al. (2008) using zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) to evaluate the potential genotoxicity of ultra low B[a]P concentrations (0.1-10 ug/L). A clear genotoxic effect on zebra mussel hemocytes in the presence of all B[a]P exposure concentrations was found. A similar genotoxic effect of B[a]P exposure on zebra mussel (D. polymorpha) was also found (Michel et al. 2012).

10.1.3 Oxidative stress


During the detoxification process, PAHs or their metabolites can undergo biotransformation reactions within lysosomes and penetrate membranes, which in turn can lead to alterations in lysosomal integrity, as well as membrane fluidity and ionic pumps (Baussant et al. 2009; Hannam et al. 2009a). Moreover, by-products of their metabolism, such as diol epoxides, radical cations and redox active o-quinones are characterised by high redox potential, thus leading to the induction of severe oxidative damage (Penning et al. 1996; Livingstone 2003), probably through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Many studies have reported increased levels of ROS or other indicators of oxidative stress upon exposure to various PAH; for example in the traditional aquatic invertebrate ecotoxicological model (Daphnia magna) (Feldmannová et al. 2006), the temperate scallop (Pecten maximus) (Hannam et al. 2010), Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) (Giannapas et al. 2011), and the shell clam, (Mya arenaria) (Frouin et al. 2007).

10.1.4 Reproductive toxicity


In Feldmannová et al. (2006), all tested N-PAHs were found to significantly suppress reproduction of Daphnia magna following a 21-day exposure. Frouin et al. (2007) demonstrated that a significant delay in gametogenesis occurred in all exposed shell clam (M. arenaria) males and in females contaminated with dietary PAHs. Furthermore, these researchers observed that males were more sensitive to PAHs than females. Mazurová et al. (2008) highlighted that Lake Pilnok sediment that was highly contaminated with powdered waste coal affected the fecundity of the Prosobranchian euryhaline mud snail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum. In Sese et al. (2009), it was reported that acenaphthene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, and B[a]P were reproductively toxic to Caenorhabditis elegans. Results showed that reproduction, in addition to growth, were much more sensitive parameters of adverse response than lethality, and consequently may be more useful in assessing PAH toxicity using C. elegans.

10.1.5 Phototoxicity


There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that certain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pose a greater hazard to aquatic organisms than previously demonstrated, due to their potential to cause photo-induced toxicity when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This toxicity may occur through two mechanisms: photosensitization and photomodification. Photosensitization generally leads to the production of singlet oxygen, a reactive oxygen species that is highly damaging to biological molecules. Photomodification of PAHs, usually via oxidation, results in the formation of new compounds and can occur under environmentally relevant levels of actinic radiation (electromagnetic radiation that can produce photochemical reactions).

For example, Lampi et al. (2006) examining the toxicities of 16 PAHs to D. magna were under the presence and absence of full-spectrum simulated solar radiation. Showed the importance of the role of photomodification since several oxy-PAHs were found to be highly toxic to D. magna. Another study also found that photosensitization of bioaccumulated PAHs, namely anthracene and pyrene, appeared to be the primary mechanism for acute photoinduced toxicity in D. magna (Huovinen et al. 2001). Sublethal effects, such as reduced feeding efficiency due to fluoranthene phototoxicity, have been shown in D. magna (Hatch and Burton, 1999). The consequences of photo-induced toxicity were reported for embryo-larval stages of the pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, following exposure to pyrene and B[a]P (Lyons et al. 2002). Significant increases in toxicity were observed in the presence of environmentally attainable levels of ultraviolet-radiation, compared with embryos exposed to PAH alone, at levels previously deemed to have little acute biological effect.

Photoactivation of PAHs bioaccumulated in the blackworm, Lumbriculus variegatus, and freshwater amphipod, Hyalella Azteca, from contaminated field sediments can cause increased mortality (Ankley et al. 1994; Monson et al. 1995). UV exposure can increase the toxicity of PAH-contaminated sediments to the infaunal amphiphods, Rhepoxynius abronius and Leptocheirus plumulosus, decreasing survival and ability to rebury (Boese et al. 2000). Exposure via water to fluoranthene and subsequently to UV radiation demonstrated increased mortality in L. variegatus as a function of both PAH dose in tissue and UV intensity (Ankley et al. 1995). The exposure to PAHs and UV radiation resulted in mortality of marine crab larvae (Peachey 2005). Increased mortality due to phototoxicity of fluoranthene has been demonstrated in glochidal larvae of the freshwater paper pondshell, Utterbackia imbecillis, exposed to waterborne PAH (Weinstein 2001) and in embryos of the marine dwarf surf clam, Mulinia lateralis, with body burden of PAH through maternal transfer from benthic adults (Pelletier et al. 2000).

    1. Salmonids


10.2.1 Acute toxicity

Most HPAH are not acutely toxic at concentrations that reflect their water solubilities. However, as mentioned, 2- and 3-ringed PAH do have acute toxicity at concentrations that would be encountered in water.


10.2.2 Biochemical indictors

PAHs are known to interact with the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR), which is a nuclear transcription factor present in most species examined, including fish. Interaction of PAH (or other ligands such as dioxin) with the AhR leads to transcription of various genes that contain a dioxin- or xenobiotic-response element (DRE or XRE). Some of these genes are important for developmental processes or adaptive responses to xenobiotic exposure such as biotransformation (Beishlag et al. 2008; Zhou et al. 2010).

Cytochrome P450s (CYP) are enzymes responsible for Phase I metabolism reactions in fish (and other species), which add functional groups to both endogenous and exogenous (xenobiotic) compounds to increase their polarity and allow these chemicals to be excreted more readily. CYP1A1 is one of these enzymes that is induced following AhR interaction with DRE in the gene. Since CYP1A1 activity, which can be measured using the ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylation (EROD) assay, is induced following exposure to AhR ligands (such as PAHs), it is frequently used as a biomarker of exposure to these chemicals in the environment.

Indeed, there have been a number of studies that have looked at CYP1A1 activity in either gill or liver tissue following collection of wild Pacific salmon from PAH-contaminated aquatic environments (field studies), following caging of salmonids in potentially PAH-contaminanted areas (in situ studies) in the Pacific Northwest, or in laboratory studies using contaminanted sediments. Gill or liver EROD activity was induced in these fish, even with low levels of dissolved (aquatic) or sediment-associated PAHs (Stehr 2000; Fragoso 2006; Blanc et al. 2010; Bravo et al. 2011).

Carls et al. (2005) demonstrated in their study and meta-analysis with pink salmon that CYP1A1 induction can be used as a good biomarker for predicting other sublethal effects of PAHs, including poor marine survival, reduced growth and developmental abnormalities.

10.2.3 Growth impairments and somatic indicators of toxicity

Moles et al. (1981) conducted a study to assess the impact of toluene (MAH) and naphthalene (PAH) exposure in freshwater on coho salmon growth. They report that dry weights, wet weights and lengths of fry exposed to naphthalene at concentrations of 3.2 µL/L or more for toluene or 0.7 mg/L or more for naphthalene is decreased, as is daily growth rate.

Meador et al. (2006) conducted a 56 day study in which juvenile Chinook salmon were fed a diet contaminated with a mixture of both low and high molecular weight PAHs that was intended to mimic the types and concentrations of these PAHs that the fish would encounter in the natural aquatic environment. The feeding of contaminanted food was intended to mimic contaminated prey items that the fish would consume and was based on a previous study examining PAH levels in stomach contents of field-collected fish (Varanasi et al. 1993). They found that fish had accumulated PAHs in their tissues to a limited degree (concentrations in tissue were lower than in food) and that fish were able to metabolize the PAHs for excretion through the bile. Exposure to dietary PAHs also led to decreased growth of fish (both wet and dry weight measurements), decreased the overall whole-body lipid content, influenced the distribution of different lipid classes (specifically decreasing the triacylglycerol (TAG) content) and altered various plasma chemistry parameters (e.g. albumin, amylase, cholesterol, creatinine, glucose, lipase). Overall this study demonstrated the detrimental effects of PAH on growth and metabolism, which the authors termed “toxicant-induced starvation”, since the effects were similar as what would be observed in starved fish.

10.2.4 Immunotoxicity

Field-collected salmonids (Chinook) that spend time in contaminated esturaries have been shown to be more susceptible to infectious diseases caused by bacterial disease such as Listonella anguillarum (Arkoosh et al. 1998). However, one of the difficulties in interpretation of field studies is that contaminants and other factors do not occur individually or in isolation, so it can be difficult to assign causation to particular chemicals or other factors.

Bravo et al. (2011) had similar findings of increased mortality following disease challenge (with Aeromonas salmonicida) in the lab following feeding of juvenile rainbow trout with food contaminated with predominantly HPAHs. In contrast, Palm et al. (2003) found that Chinook salmon fed a diet contaminated containing both LPAH and HPAH had no changes in disease susceptibility (Listonella anguillarum) relative to control groups. The study done by Bravo et al. (2011) was double the duration (50 d) compared to the Palm et al. (2003) study (28 d), and effects on disease susceptibility were not apparent until day 50 of exposure, suggesting that both duration of exposure and type of PAHs may affect the overall immunotoxicity.

10.2.5 Genotoxicity

An additional biomarker of PAH exposure that may be useful in field settings is based on the measurement of genomic damage. Once metabolized in the liver, some PAHs, particularly those with higher molecular weight (4 or more rings), can form reactive intermediates or metabolites. These metabolites can react with DNA to form DNA adducts which can lead to DNA strand breaks, mutations and ultimately cancer or tumors if not repaired. Measurement of the various types of DNA damage (strand breaks or fragmentation, DNA content changes, and micronuclei) can be a biomarker for PAH exposure, uptake and metabolism.

For example, Barbee et al. (2008) demonstrated that juvenile coho salmon, caged in situ in an area with sediment PAH contamination, had higher chromosomal damage in both peripheral blood and liver measured using several different assay methods. The level of damage correlated with the sediment PAH concentration, but not the aquatic PAH concentration. This is consistent with the preferential partitioning of higher molecular weight PAHs to the sediment, which are more typically associated with genomic damage.

10.2.6 Reproductive toxicity

No studies could be located on the effects of PAHs as a class on reproductive endpoints in salmonids. The effects on non-salmonid cold water fish are summarized in the next subsection.



10.2.7 Developmental toxicity

Causation of developmental effects have not yet been attributed to PAH directly in many studies, as most PAH sources in studies have been with mixtures. However, studies that examine the toxicity of mixtures of hydrocarbons such as PAH have been invaluable in assessing which component(s) of mixtures are causing the observed effects. For example, an experiment done by Sundberg et al. (2006) used special separation columns to investigate the effects of 3 different sediment-derived crude oil fractions (aliphatic hydrocarbons/MAHs, dicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and PAHs) on fertilized egg development and larval deformities in rainbow trout. Exposure (through micro-injections, to mimic maternal transfer and environmental uptake in the egg) to the PAH fraction led to increased mortality in the developing eggs and elevation of deformities such as assymetrical yolk-sacs in embryos and haemorrhaging in larvae. This suggests that PAHs, and particularly high-molecular weight PAHs, can contribute to embryotoxicity.

Billiard et al. (1999) demonstrated that exposure of rainbow trout to retene (32 – 320 µg/L) during egg and post-hatch stages resulted in increased incidence of blue-sac disease. Some symptoms were observed at the lowest concentration tested and effects included induction of CYP1A1, edema, haemorrhaging, craniofacial malformation as well as reduced growth, mortality, fin erosion and opercular sloughing.

In a followup study to the Billiard et al. (1999) investigation, a study with rainbow trout was done to evaluate retene (320 µg/L) for its ability to produce blue-sac disease through an oxidative stress mechanism (Bauder et al. 2005). Retene-exposed fish had increased prevalence of blue-sac disease and decreased Vitamin E and glutathione concentrations in the tissues. Co-exposures with retene and Vitamin E resulted in reduced incidence of blue-sac disease and increased tissue concentrations of Vitamine E, but did not affect glutathione concentrations. The authors concluded that a portion of the effects of retene are related to oxidative stress, but there may be additional mechanisms of toxicity such as formation of retene adducts in DNA, lipids or protein.

The minimum concentrations of lower molecular weight PAHs: naphthalene, acridine, and phenanthrene, causing gross developmental anomalies in rainbow trout, were found to be much higher than B[a]P (Black et al. 1983).

Teratogenic effects during organogenesis (7- to 24-d post fertilization) were studied by Hannah et al. (1982) and Hose et al. (1984) in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) exposed to B[a]P-contaminated sand. Gross anomalies (e.g., microphthalmia) were noted in a significant population of fish exposed to the contaminated sand (Hose et al., 1984).



10.2.8 Neurotoxicity

In a series of studies, Gesto and colleagues demonstrated that naphthalene is neurotoxic to rainbow trout. Gesto et al. (2009) showed that both naphthalene and benzo(a)pyrene, following intraperitoneal injections, can disrupt the functioning of the pineal gland, altering the release of melatonin and other hormones responsible for regulation of biological rhythms. Additionally, exposure to naphthalene for up to 5 days (via injection or implants) altered the levels of the monoaminergic neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, noradrenalin) and metabolites in the brain of immature rainbow trout (Gesto et al. 2006). An earlier study had demonstrated that naphthalene also decreases plasma cortisol and other plasma analytes in rainbow trout (Gesto et al. 2008). Taken together, these studies suggest that naphthalene (and potentially other PAHs) may modify neuroendocrine interactions, which may have widespread physiological implications for fish.



10.2.9 Behavioural toxicity

Purdy (1989) conducted a study using a 24-h aquatic exposure to a mixture of low and high molecular weight PAHs in coho salmon. Effects on feeding and avoidance behaviour were evaluated at the end of the 24-h exposure period and periodically following recovery from that exposure. It was found that exposure to the mixture of PAHs resulted in impaired feeding behaviour, as well as loss of a learned avoidance response. In addition, the time taken for fish to respond in the avoidance assay increased, indicating reaction times were slowed. These effects persisted for 1 to 10 days after the exposure was withdrawn.




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